A Review of Acinetobacter baumannii as a Highly Successful Pathogen in Times of War

Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as a significant hospital pathogen, quickly becoming resistant to commonly prescribed antimicrobials. It has recently gained notoriety as a cause of debilitating soft tissue infections in soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Current literature supports the belief that it is the widespread contamination of increasingly antimicrobial-resistant A. baumannii in both military and civilian hospitals that contributes to the rising rates of infections.